Strike Up The Band! Minnesota Orchestra Lockout Ends

After more than 15 months, the bitter labor battle between the Minnesota Orchestra musicians and management has ended. Whether the orchestra's music director Osmo Vänskä (pictured here) will return, after resigning in October, remains to be seen.

Greg HelgesonMinnesota Orchestra

Originally published on January 15, 2014 12:39 pm

"The 15-month lockout at the Minnesota Orchestra ended Tuesday after management and musicians announced an agreement," Minnesota Public Radio writes.

"Musicians will return to work on Feb. 1," the network adds. They had been locked out since October 2012.

"The orchestra became the unwitting poster child for labor strife in the classical music world — and, to some extent, an emblem of the problems facing nonprofit arts institutions across the country. ...

"The music has to be world-class, but so does the fundraising, the ticket sales and everything else behind the scenes. That was happening in Minnesota — but then came the economic downturn in 2008, a year after the musicians received a hefty pay raise. They gave some of it back, but management says it has to cut salaries even more. Musicians say top players will leave, and some already have, threatening the very artistic quality they need to attract audiences and funders."

Now, Minnesota Public Radio says, the musicians have "voted to approve a new contract that will end the nation's longest-running contract dispute for a concert orchestra. Both sides say they're pleased with the agreement."

According to MPR:

"Under the terms of a three-year contract, the musicians will have to take a 15 percent pay cut in the first year. The musicians will receive raises in the second and third years resulting in a total pay cut of 10 percent over the term of the contract.

"However, they will also be paying increased health care expenses that orchestra managers said will make the musicians' total concession 15 percent. ...

"Management locked out the musicians in October 2012 after the musicians rejected a contract proposal calling for 35 percent salary cuts and a myriad of changes in work rules.